Rural Health
News by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand
Oct 8, 2026 - Highlights a health career pathways program in Montana that accelerates the path to completion for healthcare degrees. The program aims to train rural students in an effort to fill rural healthcare workforce gaps.
Source: University of Montana News
Oct 5, 2026 - Discusses recent research finding surgeon workforce shortages in rural communities. Notes that one driver of the shortage is surgeon training not meeting the workforce demand.
Source: The Week
Sep 23, 2026 - Discusses family medicine in rural communities following the announcement of new federally funded family medicine residency programs. Notes that clinicians from or trained in rural areas are more likely to practice there, addressing workforce needs in rural communities. Describes how residencies have been used in various states, the use of Rural Health Transformation Program funds, and tribal community residencies.
Source: Wyoming Public Radio
Sep 23, 2026 - Offers an interview with the Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services discussing emergency medical services (EMS) workforce challenges in rural Michigan.
Source: EMS World
Sep 10, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced awards to 132 hospitals in 13 states through the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program. This will help eligible small rural hospitals maintain their workforce, sustain essential services, and strengthen patients' access to care.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Sep 3, 2026 - Discusses physician workforce shortages both nationally and in one Alabama county. Describes the rural-specific impacts of the shortage and how an Alabama health system recruits to address area shortages.
Source: Huntsville Business Journal
Sep 2, 2026 - The University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine has received $10 million to be used toward a program training primary care physicians in rural communities. 42% of Alabama's population lives in rural areas, and 16.4% of those are uninsured.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Aug 30, 2026 - Discusses a new survey showing a continued decline in primary care providers in Vermont. Describes how Vermont's shortage compares with national trends, challenges with primary care distribution in a small population state, a rise in specialization, and physician demographic trends.
Source: VT Digger
Aug 28, 2026 - The University of Northern Colorado's College of Osteopathic Medicine opened in July with its first class of 81 students. The new school will help address the physician shortage in Colorado, where 54 of its 64 counties have Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas, and 31.2% of physicians are of retirement age.
Source: Colorado Politics
Aug 25, 2026 - Profiles a University of Iowa medical student who aims to practice in rural Iowa where there are physician workforce shortages. Discusses the importance of including rural training in medical school to prepare students for rural practice.
Source: Iowa Stories